Asking Alice - S1:E3 AMA & ARES
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Originally Published on July 31st, 2490
Orbital News Network/A MGM HoloNET Production
There's a catchy little intro, the logo, the canned applause that indicates there's a live holo-audience. Alice is a pleasant sounding woman with a smooth genial voice that doesn't seem to have a particular accent. She smiles a lot, and despite the very obvious augmentations, moves and talks very naturally.
| Dr. Alice Winters: “Welcome everyone! Thanks so much for being here with us today. There's been a great response to my show, and I'm so grateful to all of you for that support! One of the things we heard the most from folks offering feedback was that you wanted some more space to ask some more questions.
We talked about it, and in light of the fact that bigger events have repeatedly altered the format for this broadcast, we realized that we had always meant for there to be more time for questions. To make that up to you, That's what I'm going to be doing today. We're going to have a nice AMA session. So if you'd like to ask me a question, please activate the com link at the bottom of your screen, and let's get started. Do we have a caller?” Mara: “Hello?” AW: “Yes we do. Hello! You're on Asking Alice, who are we talking with?” M: “Uh, my name's Mara. I really like your show, Dr. Winters.” AW: “Thanks! That means a lot! What's your question?” M: “We live in New Berlin, and my son Anthony has been a servicman here for a few years. He's got a few augments, like he has a deck and some ID stuff in his hands, and the things on his head for data lenses. But he started talking about amputation and getting his arms replaced, and we're just scared that's a step too far.” AW: “I know that has to sound unsettling. Why would anyone cut off a perfectly good arm to replace with a machine?” M: “Yeah! Well, I mean, I'm sorry, I know you're, you know.” Alice holds up her cybernetic arms. AW: “More than it looks like I am, though it wasn't voluntary, it was necessary. That being said, I still could have gone with more blended and limited prosthetics. I chose to go cybernetic because I wanted to be able to do more. And that's probably similar to the motivation Anthony is being driven by. He would like to do more.” M: “But does he have to cut off his arms?” AW: “That's not a question you or I can answer because we don't understand what kind of more he wants to be able to do. What I will say is that limb replacements are big, and I understand why you're resistant to the idea. However, when they're voluntary, there's a much much lower risk of developing c-psych. Voluntary limb replacements are fairly pleasant experiences. There's a lot of planning and coordination ahead of time, and that all makes the surgery itself go incredibly quickly, and largely pain-free.” M: “How do you mean? What happens?” AW: “When I do a full limb prosthetic replacement, I'm meeting with that patient weeks before the anticipated surgery. We'll look over what their deck tolerances are, and what prosthetics will integrate best as well as, of course, what exactly they'd like to enhance. About a week before the surgery, I'll have my patient start wearing a tourniquet, that they'll tighten each day, to atrophy the tissue that's being removed, and to bulk up the tissue that's going to be taking the adapter cap for the prosthetic. They come in the night before, settle into their suite, and we flush them with medical nanites to remove any infections or risk of infections. In the morning, they go under, I perform the surgery. Usually by that same evening, they're alert and coherent. They're usually not in much pain, but it can take a bit for the limb to respond reliably. Once it is, though, they're back out on their own with follow-ups to make sure everything is working. Done correctly, it's all very safe.” M: “That doesn't sound that bad. Except the part where you cut off his arms.” AW: “Replace them. And it's not bad at all. I'm sorry if you were looking for me to give you ideas to talk him out of it. I expect you love your son very much, and know that being nurturing and supportive of his decisions is what has made him into the fine serviceman who spoke to you about wanting this before doing anything. So it's likely that your intention is to respect whatever decision he makes, and support him, and you're looking for how.” M: “Uh, yeah.” AW: “Be there for him. Be there when he wakes up. Help him learn his way around the new limbs. And if they're too mechanical and too much, ask him if he could get a blended prosthetic for when he's around you. But I really feel you personally would benefit from being able to respect and admire the man he chooses to be. Inside and out.” M: “You're right. Yeah. I want to support him.” AW: “Fantastic! Thank you so much for calling in, and I hope you keep watching! For now, though, let's take a quick break for a word from our sponsors.” |
[COMMERCIAL BREAK]
| AW: “Welcome Back to Asking Alice! We're taking live call questions today, and the lines are open. Do we have a caller?”
Julien: “Oh! Hi! I'm Julien! I just started dating someone who's augmented, and I was wondering if you had any tips for in the bedroom to make it better for him?” AW: “I think that's great that you want to take that kind of role in pleasing your intimate partner, but the answer isn't going to be very simple, though. Augmented people are.. at the end of the day, just people. And what one may like, another may not, and what one craves could repulse someone else. There are a few topics you can broach with your partner though, to both of your benefit.” J: “So you mean, just talk to him?” AW: “That is usually how the best sex starts. It really depends on the exact nature of the augments your partner has, but there may be sensitivity levels they can modulate to enhance their own experience. They can tell where they have sensation to touch or temperature, and how much control they have over it. The better you understand that, then the better position you're in when you're trying to please your partner. Likewise? Let them know what you like. There can be vibrations, or very mild electrical discharges that could absolutely rock your world.” J: “Wow? Really? I never thought of it like that. I tried not to touch any of his augments, because I didn't know if I should, or if he would even feel them.” AW: “Most of the good prosthetics have at least pressure and temperature awareness. Highly sensitive augments can give texture and humidity as well as provide specific pleasure or pain stimulus.” J: “Wait. How does it know pain and pleasure?” AW: “That's a lot of complicated computer programming, but the short version? All of those things your brain reads as pain or pleasure are just directed electrical impulses to stimulate the release of chemicals. That's actually the very raw core of cybernetics. Your brain is a chemical computer, and it's language is chemicals. Silicon computers use the languages we've created. Cybernetics uses electricity to act as a bridge, translating computer language commands into chemical ones. So the computer's understanding of pleasure - stimulus occurring within certain ideal thresholds - is translated into electrical impulses that cause your brain to release oxytocin, serotonin, dopamine, and other endorphins that says that feels good. Pleasure still feels very much the same. But regardless of how organic one is, it's still very very personal. Which brings us back to communicating with your intimate partner.” J: “Okay. That makes sense, I think. Is there a chance I could hurt him?” AW: “Aside from the usual ways we get hurt in intimate relationships? I mean if you're asking if there's any special considerations you need to make for the augments, I mean.. again, this is all going to be very personal. I know that for me? I'm not a fan of being embraced and someone trying to hook their fingers on my spinal shielding for my neural relay. It makes the electromagnets that hold on to it work harder, and with enough time, and resistance, can actually cause burns. So when someone does that, my brain reads it as uncomfortable. Though they may just be doing what feels natural.” J: Wow. OK. So, you date too? AW: “Well, not really anymore. I'm emotionally committed to my intimate partner, and don't want to seek intimacy outside of that partnership. What makes that work is also what will make your new relationship work as well. Don't be afraid to be honest, to ask hard questions, to accept criticism and correction, and understand that your willingness to correct is the biggest sign that you care. I wish you both luck and enjoyment on your journey and we'll be back with more after the break.” |
[COMMERCIAL BREAK]
| AW: “Welcome back everyone! This is getting to be some great fun and there have been some great questions! Let's take our next caller.”
Caller: “Hi. Am I on?” AW: “You are! Who am I speaking with?” C: “Did you really work for ARES? Why haven't you said anything about what they're doing? Do you support what they're doing on-” AW: “I didn't think that I would be allowed to stay connected. But it's an elephant in the room now so, let's talk about it.” Before I get started, I need to explain that yes, I did work for ARES for almost 20 years, and that I can not talk about what I did specifically, or any specific projects I may have been a part of. I applied and interviewed there as I was coming out of my Cybernetics Fellowship. Once I graduated from University, I was hired on by ARES, and frankly? At the time? That was an incredibly lucky break. ARES was leading the way in cybernetics research, they had the greatest need of any corporation for doctors and engineers to specialize in heavy augmentation, and the troubles and triumphs that come with that. Basically? If you were a fresh doctorate in Cybernetics? ARES was my dream job. It still is, being completely candid about that. The pay is generous, the benefits are thorough. You probably have to move to one of their facilities, and will be subjected to the extra security that comes with working at a company like that, but overall, You get to play with the coolest new things. It's an academic and scientific utopia, if you are an Academic or a Scientist. It's also highly highly competitive, and there are instances of individual ethics running counter to company ethics. But that happens in every corporation. Regardless? That's the approach I took to my career trajectory. And I would very likely still be doing that today. I didn't think of myself as building war machines. I repaired people who were hurt, who needed help. It's not my job to pass judgment on how someone gets hurt. It's my job to fix what gets hurt. I'm not qualified to make decisions about War, because I always think it's bad, and I'll always aim to avoid or prevent harm. So that's why I'm not weighing in on the politics, ethics, or motives of the events of the past couple of months. My voice isn't the one that needs to be heard right now. I don't make it my business to understand war. I understand the wounds caused by war. I understand how to help people get on the path to healing and restoration. And that's why I enjoy getting to do this now, and why I enjoy working for MGM. MGM has actively encouraged my journey and I'm excited to return that investment. So I will leave it to pundits, and those who are either more qualified or more enthusiastic about it to express the various opinions on the specific events. For me? I only see the aftermath, and the desire to get people on the path to healing and restoration. That's it for our show today, I really enjoyed getting to hear from you, and look forward to next week where we'll meet Selima, who's had some problems with her cybernetic tattoos; and also look at some of the latest ocular prosthetics hitting the market this fall. Have a great week and stay healthy!” |
[EXIT MUSIC AND CREDITS - AN MGM PRODUCTION, SYNDICATED BY ONN]